Konkuk Univ. Nurturing Pro-Korea Chinese Leaders

Oh Myung Rejects Stereotype Globalization of University, Boosts Exchanges With Chinese Schools

By Do Je-hae

Staff Report

Some Korean universities have the tendency to equate globalization with English proficiency, eagerly pursuing the establishment of English-only campuses as a measure to improve their global competitiveness.

But Konkuk University is focusing on expanding networks with Chinese universities, scholars and students. Ultimately, one of Seoul's top private universities aims to nurture the next generation of Korean experts on China and pro-Korea Chinese leaders.

``Our school is at the forefront of cultivating exchanges with China,'' Oh Myung, president of Konkuk University, said in an interview with The Korea Times.

``We must overcome the stereotype that globalization translates to the usage of English, particularly at a time when the power structure of the world is undergoing a significant transition.'' He emphasized the compelling growth of China's economic, political and cultural influence in the international community.

``Nurturing a lasting partnership with the Chinese is a crucial task for our times,'' the 70-year-old scholar and former bureaucrat said.

``We need to see more Korean students studying in China and more Chinese students coming to study here. We must make friends with them.''

Konkuk University prides itself on a long history of bringing the two countries closer.

It is the first university in the nation to allow Chinese faculty to teach courses that are not simply focused on the Chinese language or literature courses.

It has been a practice of Korean universities to hire foreign professors mainly for language departments.

Konkuk has hired 16 Chinese scholars as full-time staff members to teach courses in international trade, economics, business management, accounting, physics and financial mathematics among other majors. They started teaching this March.

``The Chinese students that study with our Korean students will be nurtured as the leaders of their homeland in 10 to 20 years. In this vein, partnerships and networking with Chinese individuals and schools is a crucial measure of a country's global competitiveness in the 21st century,'' Oh said.

Currently, Konkuk has signed agreements with 61 Chinese universities for student, scholar and research exchanges.

The university also runs preparatory courses at nine Chinese universities for local students who are headed to study at colleges in Korea.

The incorporation of Chinese professors into Konkuk's faculty is one of the school's arduous efforts to make a friendly environment for Chinese students.

While many of them undergo a language proficiency test before coming to Korea, many have expressed difficulty in not following behind in classes that are run in Korean or English, according to Sun Woo-young, head of the school's international relations department.

As of 2009, there were 1,000 Chinese students in the undergraduate program.

To help the increasing number of Chinese students acclimate to life in Korea, Konkuk University introduced a number of assimilation programs.

``Looking back at the time when Koreans used to go abroad to study, I can sympathize with the difficulty Chinese students face here. It is our responsibility to care for them so that they will remember Korea in a positive light upon their return to China."

Through a ``one-on-one mentoring program,'' the school pairs a Korean student with a Chinese student. A scholarship is offered to Korean students enrolled in the program who help their Chinese partners with problems they face in the country.

When signing up for a new cell phone, opening up a bank account or registering for classes, Chinese students are assisted by their Korean mentors.

In addition, a host family program is being operated for faculty and staff of the school to invite Chinese students to their homes to familiarize them with Korean culture and family life.

Oh finds great joy in serving as host for a Chinese student and another student from Kazakhstan.

``We want foreign students to feel that they are amongst family and friends in Korea,'' Oh said, referring to the two host students as ``his new daughters.''

``The host family program aims to instill in foreigners a positive image of our school and of Korea by offering them wholehearted care and assistance.''

In the last five years, Konkuk has seen a surge in exchanges with schools abroad, with 229 universities in 40 countries being involved.

While globalization is a key policy for the school, it has been reserved about establishing an all-English campus, unlike the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH).

The presidents of UNIST and POSTECH recently publicized their plans to construct English-only campus projects as a crucial step toward raising their international status and attracting foreign talent. Both schools are hoping to take after Asia's top universities such as Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST), an 18-year-old school that is already increasingly being considered one of the most prestigious universities in Asia.

But Konkuk is against the idea that students should take classes, write reports and take exams in English, and be subject to an environment where all school administration affairs are handled in the language.

``Conducting a 100 percent English-language curriculum is impossible in reality. I think it is enough that we have around 30 percent of our classes taught in English,'' Oh said.

The former technocrat projected that Chinese will be more useful for Koreans than English in the years ahead.

``I think we should think about long-term prospects. In the future, there will be more demand for Koreans who are fluent in Chinese than those fluent in English,'' Oh said.

While the globalization of Korean universities seems to be progressing well, questions remain whether Korean universities are equipped with quality courses and opportunities expected from such costly education.

Korean universities and colleges are now charging on average one of the highest tuition fees among OECD countries, but latest surveys indicate that the tuition hikes are not proportional with the level of education provided. An OCED report rated Korea 51st among 57 countries in its index of university competitiveness.

Konkuk charges around 3 million won for undergraduate students per semester.

The tuition increase has been the subject of heated debate, but Oh declined to comment on the issue.

Instead, he emphasized that Konkuk is devoted to nurturing global leaders that combine intelligence with sound character.

``I constantly remind our faculty to focus on producing good citizens who know how wisely to adjust to today's competitive society and get along with others,'' Oh said.

Oh, a graduate of Seoul National University, has a Ph.D. in electronic engineering and has had an illustrious career as a technocrat, serving as a minister for various government departments before becoming deputy prime minister in 2004.

He has been president of Konkuk University since September 2006 and has devoted himself to imparting Korea's IT expertise to developing countries.